My position on the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, and Transgender persons, and persons of other “unconventional” sexual orientations (queer-identity, intersex, polyamorous and others) can be summarized very succinctly:

I stand for equal protection under the law, equal rights in society and the workplace, and for embracing diversity.

What do these principles mean in practice? Equal protection under the law and equal rights in society mean just what they say. All persons, regardless of sexual orientation, must be accorded the same rights and the same opportunities to participate fully in all aspects of the life of society. This includes equal rights to employment opportunities, educational opportunities, health care and more. It includes the right to go to a senior prom with a same-sex partner and the right to serve in the military or other branches of government. It includes the right to marry, a current major focus of the LGBT rights movement.

I recognize that there are many well-intentioned people who, out of sincerely held religious convictions, are uncomfortable with the idea of recognizing gay and lesbian marriage. However, in many instances this is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue. I do not suggest, nor do most advocates of equal marriage rights, that our state government interfere in the rights of any religious organization to define “marriage” as it sees fit. We are concerned with the right to marriage as defined under the law – in other words, in civil society. In the world of the law, “marriage” has nothing to do with religion. It really amounts to a type of legal contract, with attendant property rights, rights pertaining to inheritance, and other civil rights, such as the right to visit a partner in the hospital, or to make health-care decisions for someone who is incapacitated. And of course, most of our law on “marriage” doesn’t even concern marriage itself, but governs what happens when marriages are dissolved, i.e., divorce law.

Therefore, allowing gays and lesbians to marry under the law has absolutely nothing to do  with religion. There is nothing sacred about it; the sacredness of marriage cannot come from government. This is a matter in which we “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” Gays and lesbians are entitled to the same protection, the same legal rights and the same rights under civil society as heterosexuals. Period.

As for embracing diversity, this stems from one of the Green Party’s Ten Key Values. In the civil rights movement generally, there is a tendency to speak of minority groups in society in terms of social “tolerance.” Obviously, tolerance is a good first step and infinitely preferable to intolerance, bigotry and hatred. But at a certain point, we also need to view relations with all of our human brothers and sisters more broadly and inclusively. “Tolerance” implies that there is something “wrong” or unwelcome about the minority group in question but that the rest of us learn to live with it. I believe that we need to move beyond tolerance and ignorance and move toward embracing diversity. We as a society need to recognize the truth that there is great breadth in human nature, human experience and human relations. We need to learn to cherish the freedom and richness it brings to our culture. We need to recognize that being true to one’s own nature, and encouraging loving, caring relationships among human beings of all inclinations, are positive values that are good for the life of society as a whole.

That is my vision of a better society, the kind of society I would like to live in. To the extent that a new Governor can contribute to the building of such a society, I pledge to do so as fully as possible.